Snoring takes place when the uvula and the soft palate at the rear of the mouth vibrate in response to the flow of air past these tissues. It may be caused by any of nasal congestion, the tone of the muscles supporting the soft palate, or large tonsils. Age, alcohol and additional body weight can negatively impact a snorer's condition by weakening muscle tone.
In the 1960's it was thought that snoring could be minimalized or even eliminated if the air flow thorough the mouth was inhibited. Therefore anti-snore devices of that era were constructed to block the flow of air through the mouth such that the breather had to inhale and exhale through the nose. The hoped for result was that the tissue that was vibrating as air passed over it would not do so since less air was moving past the tissues. Devices constructed to operate based on this theory failed to gain significant market acceptance because they were cumbersome and uncomfortable to the wearers.
The earliest surgical procedures merely provided for removal of the tonsils. This was helpful to some of the approximately twenty plus million snorers in the U.S.A. alone. Since the sixties, throat surgical procedures have been developed which comprise cutting part of the uvula to eliminate the vibration and therefore deter snoring. These and other surgical procedures have also been utilized to overcome the more serious problem of sleep apnea. This is a transient cessation of breathing during one's sleep.
Sleep apnea is a condition that can arise after one becomes a snorer. It is a condition that results in frequent repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep. It arises from the presence of an abnormally small air passage at the junction of the tonsils and soft palate. A turbulence is created which is responsible for the snoring and which makes breathing more difficult. While the apnea itself is not a crisis problem, apnea can detrimentally affect the blood pressure, which can result in heart attack and heart failure.
While applicant did suffer from sleep apnea, he did undergo multithousand dollar throat surgery for snoring relief, only to find that the surgical benefits were of short duration. Not to mention, the discomfort associated with the recovery period.
Medical experts today, contrary to the thinking of the 1960's, believe that for certain patients, if the snorer's lower jaw is moved forward during sleep time to thereby add tone to the throat muscles and to open the air passageway, not restrict it, snoring can be reduced or eliminated. Thus today these mouth appliances are made available to the public at sleep disorder centers and by dentists through out the U.S.A. That is the upside! The downside is that many people cannot afford the $300 to $600 cost and the time associated with being fitted for these custom made appliances.
There is a need therefore for a low cost device that can be easily fitted by the wearer, that will both reduce the cost of purchase and eliminate the loss of time associated with custom made dental appliances.
Prior to making the instant invention, applicant caused an extensive patent search to be carried out to determine the state-of-the-art in mouth pieces. These seem to fall into two categories; namely, those used by athletes such as the football players many of us see on television each Saturday and Sunday which serve as a tooth guard; and those devices used to inhibit snoring. The following references turned up during the course of the search:
______________________________________ # Patent No. Applicant Patent Type ______________________________________ 1. 2,669,988 Carpenter TP 2. 3,312,218 Jacobs TP 3. 3,434,470 Strickland SI 4. 3,478,742 Bohlmaann OTHER 5. 4,304,227 Samelson SI 6. 4,568,280 Ahlin OTHER 7. 4,593,686 LLoyd et al SA 8. 4,715,368 George SA 9. D-302,036 George SA 10. 4,848,365 Guarlotti et al TP 11. 5,018,533 Hawkins SA 12. 5,003,994 Cook SI 13. 5,042,506 Liberate SI/SA 14. 5,046,512 Murchie SI/SA 15. 5,056,534 Wright SI 16. 5,092,346 Hays et al SI 17. 5,117,816 Shapiro et al SI ______________________________________
WHEREIN "TP" means Tooth Protector; "SI" means Snore Inhibitor, and "SA" pertains to Sleep Apnea.
Of the references cited above, of all types, no one reference, or any combination thereof anticipates the subject matter of this application or renders the invention obvious in light of prior art.
It is first object therefore to provide a snore inhibiting device that is custom fit to the wearer, but is low in cost.
A second object is to provide a snore inhibiting device which incorporates modern medical thinking.
Another object is to provide a dental mouthpiece which during periods of sleep retains the lower jaw in a forward position.
Still another object is to provide a dental mouthpiece that can be made pliable upon being subjected to hot water such that it can be custom fit, which custom fit will be retained upon cooling of the device.
Yet another object is to provide a tooth covering device that can be readily molded to conform to the bite of the individual wearer.
A yet further object is to provide a custom moldable mouthpiece with a removable handle thereupon.
Still another object is provide a colorful dental appliance which resists being misplaced.
An additional object is to provide a device which can be worn comfortably by the wearer.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the device possessing the features properties and the relation of components which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.